Little White Dove (Palomita Blanca) tells the story of Juan Carlos and María, two teenagers from different walks of life who fall in love at an outdoor hippie music festival in 1970s Chile. The film explores Juan and Maria's relationship in the light of immense social change and increasing political turmoil in South America.
Production
The film was shot in 1973 over six weeks with a budget of $170,000. It was completed just days before the military coup led by Augusto Pinochet on September 11, which overthrew the government of Salvador Allende. The film was scheduled for release on September 18, but never made it to theatres. In October of that year, a private screening was organized for influential critics and representatives of the military dictatorship. Despite assurances that the film would be released, it remained locked away due to its "political" content, nude scenes and strong language.[2]
The film was finally released almost twenty years later in 1992 to critical acclaim [3] after being re-edited by Raúl Ruiz. The accompanying soundtrack by Los Jaivas was also released in 1992.
Lost documentary
During the casting process for the film, a behind-the-scenes documentary called Palomilla Brava was also shot simultaneously. This "making of" project was the first of its kind in South American cinema. It was conceived by director Raul Ruiz as a way of exposing and deterring producer Hugo Ortega's inappropriate behaviour towards female actors. The documentary was also intended to provide a critical look at the local film industry's casting process.[4]
The whereabouts of Palomilla Brava are unknown, as it disappeared along with the original film cans. Sergio Trabucco, the film's producer, has lamented the loss of the documentary as it provided valuable material for understanding young actors and their struggles within the local film industry in 1970s Chile.[5]
López-Vicuña, Ignacio (2017); "Raúl Ruiz's 'lost' Chilean film: Memory and multiplicity in Palomita blanca (1973)" in Ignacio López-Vicuña, Andreea Marinescu (eds.) Raúl Ruiz's Cinema of Inquiry, Wayne State University Press, pp. 159–176.
